He’d come to fight, full of anger, rage but his older brother unexpectedly knocked all the wind out of Ye Hua’s sails. Instead, he nervously traveled the length of the lotus pond on Kunlun Mountain.

Secretly pondering if Mo Yuan’s words were trustworthy or could he be trying to mislead him. To catch him off guard, scoop in to retake Qian Qian from under his nose but he wasn’t one to lie and deceive others.

It was fair to say he was stunned by the new turn of event. Entirely out of the blue, Mo Yuan suddenly announced that he wasn’t going to continue pursuing Qian Qian. He said his lengthy love affair with her needed to come to an end, and showed Ye Hua real sympathy for the first time since their meeting.

Mo Yuan not only shocked Ye Hua with such an astonishing declaration but then also advised him to start over with Qian Qian. Never had he expected such words to come from Mo Yuan’s lips.

Then Chang’s sudden change in color after 40,000 years was utterly mystifying. During the 20,000 years in Nine Heavens and 20,000 years on Kunlun Mountain. This incident was the first time there were any development or advancement in the golden lotus.

Ye Hua took his advice and with his profound wisdom, Mo Yuan expressed his opinion that Ye Hua’s child encased in a lotus was ready to become reunited with Qian Qian. Everything sounded too good to be true. That was the problem. All and everything sounded too good to be true, he inwardly wondered when the other shoe was going to drop.

Casually Ye Hua answered almost automatically but it was more than clear, his mind was somewhere else when he affirmed, “My mother merely touched the wilted lotus and gave birth to me three days later. I think Qian Qian needs a bit more time before she meets Chang. What if the lotus will be born three days later like me? It’s too soon considering I’ve yet to meet her again.”

It sounded as if Mo Yuan was talking aloud to himself when he mumbled, “You going to Qingqiu would be somewhat suspicious considering you’ve never been there before. We could arrange an accidental meeting in Zhe Yan’s orchard.”

Tensely Ye Hua continued to pace lost in his thoughts when Mo Yuan uttered, “Ye Hua, you could always follow A-Li to the mortal realm when he joins her for a play as he’s been doing every week.”

The offhanded statement made Ye Hua swiftly glance up at his older brother instantly with suspicion. Because how would Mo Yuan know about A-Li and Qian Qian’s new relationship? It was plain to see he too was watching her movements, and Ye Hua silently wondered how long Mo Yuan had also been guarding her covertly.

He was about to challenge his brother’s comment when one of Mo Yuan’s disciple came to deliver a message, and immediately for Ye Hua, the other shoe dropped.

A subtle surprise was Mo Yuan’s expression but then swiftly turned into one of absolute shock, when Zi Lan openly cupped his lips for privacy and continued in a low, hushed voice, “Shifu, It’s Seventeen. I mean Bai Qian is here to see you.”

Promptly Ye Hua’s dark, shiny eyes narrowed as he demanded in a tone full of jealousy, “Why would Qian Qian come to see you? Is there anything else you’ve failed to tell me, Mo Yu…brother? How often has she been here before?”

Zi Lan looked around apprehensively and nervously due to Ye Hua’s drastic change in demeanor. It was apparent and visible Heavenly Lord Ye Hua was fuming angry. The white robed disciple waited patiently for instructions from his Shifu when Mo Yuan queried, “What does Bai Qian want and why is she here? Where she is now?”

A soft feminine voice called out from a short distance before Zi Lan could reply, “I’m right here. High God Mo Yuan and High God Ye Hua, forgive my intrusion. I hope you weren’t discussing something of major importance such as a war.”

Bai Qian rounded her arms and bowed respectfully. She looked as lovely as she had on her birthday and now wore her hair up in a slightly loose messy bun. Little, small hairs fringed and framed her beautiful face. She wore a flowing, pale, baby blue goddess gown with many flower buds appliqued all over the entire slightly sheer dress. The upper part of her gown unbuttoned perfectly, so it was provocative yet still elegant and showcased the perfectly smooth, delicate, even toned ivory skin on her neck, chest and protruding collar bones.

Bai Qian casually strolled around the courtyard and murmured while studying her surroundings, “Your disciple asked me to wait at the school entrance but for some odd reason, this place feels…very familiar. Like I’ve been here before. I just started walking and here I am.”

Both Mo Yuan and Ye Hua were speechless. Mo Yuan saw her in Qingqiu but they never exchanged a word and for Ye Hua, this was only the second time he’d seen her up close in 40,000 years.

Between the three of them, the anxious, awkward silence was tense until Bai Qian suddenly requested in her soft, feminine, song-like voice, “High God Mo Yuan, could we speak…alone?”

Lightly he cleared his tightening throat and indifferently replied, because he could feel Ye Hua’s angry glare without even looking at him, “There isn’t any need for privacy and we can speak here. My brother and I don’t keep secrets from each other.”

Mo Yuan lied through his teeth but Bai Qian beamed and gushed back, “Yes, my siblings and I also share a particularly close, tight relationship! I understand so I’ll say it here.”

“High God Mo Yuan, do you like me?” Bai Qian blurted out with a big smile on her face.

“Excuse me?” Mo Yuan answered with widening eyes while feeling Ye Hua observing their unusual, and unexpected exchange with a narrowed skeptical scowl on his face.

Bai Qian took a step closer to Mo Yuan, blushed becomingly and asked shyly, “Do you see me as a woman?”

Mo Yuan’s full brows rose from the shock as he stammered, “I… I’m not sure I understand your question?”

“Well, I’m not very good with this kind of thing. I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m entirely out of my comfort zone. However, the other day when you secretly snuck me some wine, winked and smiled in that little sexy way. I could be wrong but it felt like, umm, how should I put it? Flirting.”

She took another giant step closer to him so Bai Qian was staring directly up at his face and added coquettishly, “It felt as if you were flirting with me. High God Mo Yuan, do you see me and like me as a woman?”

Bai Qian asked then bashfully hid her flushing face behind her small hands like a schoolgirl. She giggled behind her hands while Ye Hua gave Mo Yuan the death glare.

He was at a loss for words when Mo Yuan declared, “I think you’re making more out of something than originally intended, Bai Qian.”

Bai Qian lowered her hands and took in the sight of Mo Yuan. She held her hands firmly behind her back, rocked back and forth on her tiptoes while she was beaming when she returned in a spirited tone.

Her voice was jaunty and playful when Bai Qian chirped, “I don’t think so. From what I gather and understand, High God Mo Yuan, you are an…abstinent God. I don’t believe you would do anything without purpose, especially wink and smile at single unwed women.”

She covered her lightly painted mouth to stifle her giddy giggles and then suddenly asked most earnest, “Abstinence? Celibacy? Is that one of free choice or have you had your body permanently……altered. Do you understand what I’m asking?” Intentionally Bai Qian made her index and third fingers like snipping scissors. She asked in a somewhat roundabout way if Mo Yuan still had his male parts.

He gasped so hard that he choked and Mo Yuan struggled to find his voice. Contrarily Ye Hua didn’t have any issues making sounds. He huffed, hissed an irritable noise between his clenched teeth that sounded like an overheated tea kettle.

“I wanted to ask you why you’ve been making my birthday wine and sending them through Zhe Yan? I thought the etching was a simple heart but the more I studied it carefully, it looks like our initials MY and BQ cut into the facets of the heart? Am I wrong?” Bai Qian stared at Mo Yuan with sparkling, shiny eyes full of sentiment.

Mo Yuan returned in his most convincing voice, “Bai Qian, this personal and intimate discussion makes me feel uncomfortable, and you seem to have misunderstood my, umm…acts of parental affection. You’re Bai Zhi’s only daughter so I merely winked because I found you adorable that day.”

But the moment Ye Hua heard Mo Yuan called her adorable, he kicked the ground forcibly and growled under his breath. He firmly ground his teeth loud enough to get Bai Qian’s attention. Her deep, dark chestnut hued eyes grew big, round and she smiled but it was unnatural and forced.

Politely Bai Qian praised Ye Hua but it didn’t sound like a sincere compliment when she spoke, “High God Ye Hua, I see from where A-Li gets his personality. Yes, he’s really, truly something special. That A-Li.”

“Qian Qian, would you like to hold something incredible? Do you like red lotus flowers?” Ye Hua asked as he purposefully reached out for her hand but Mo Yuan stopped him. He made silent signals with his eyes and eyebrows for Ye Hua to stop, slow down.

Bai Qian smirked somewhat irritated and responded, “Did you just call me Qian Qian? Haha. Yes, A-Li is just like you. I’m allergic to lotus flowers and they give me hives all over my body but thank you anyway.”

Rounding out her slender, graceful arms for her parting greeting, Bai Qian stated somewhat disappointed, “Well, I feel silly coming all the way up here. Now I know why I’m not married. I’m not very good at this and I thought perhaps you, High God Mo Yuan, were possibly into me because I’m kind of into you.”

She bowed politely and left as quietly as she’d appeared. The moment she vanished Ye Hua snapped and yelled, “I-can-not believe this ridiculous absurdity! Finally, I get the green light as you exit the match for her love, and Chang changes colors but my Qian Qian comes and asks if you’re into her. Did she say she was into you?!”

Ye Hua demanded in hostility, “How did you wink at her? Show me the way you smiled. Show me your sexy smile! Have you been etching your initials in the wine bottle, Mo Yuan?!”

Mo Yuan’s brows furrowed as he attempted to smile repeatedly in his demonstration but it was awkward, and he winked but that too was embarrassing for him. Ye Hua stared him down with full wrath before declaring most arrogantly, “There’s nothing special or unique about your smile or wink! Have you been drugging her wine with aphrodisiacs? Did she say she was allergic to lotus flowers?”

“Now that she’s brought it up, there might be something to her comment about being allergic to lotus flowers. Bai Qian used to poke at you with sticks or long blades of grass, and I don’t recall her ever touching your lotus with her hands.” Mo Yuan’s comment had the similar effect to poking a sleeping grizzly bear, and had Ye Hua livid and up in arms.

He spoke those words and stopped talking. There was absolute silence between them when suddenly Mo Yuan’s younger twin’s outrageous, unusual accusation came to his mind. Never had he considered using aphrodisiacs, and inwardly barely held back the urge to chuckle out loud because Bai Qian said aloud, that she was slightly into him. And out of all people in the world, she’d announced it right in front of Ye Hua.

It was trivial, petty and insignificant but Mo Yuan thoroughly reveled in the short, sweet moment privately but heard Ye Hua complaining when he said, “She’s allergic to lotus flowers?! I knew we should have encased Chang into something like a golden wine bottle shape, or a certain part of my body that I know Qian Qian loves to grab.”

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Disclaimer

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (三生三世, 十里桃花) which is trademarked by Tang Qi. The characters were created and are owned by Tang Qi, and I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.

The stories I tell here are of my own invention, and it is not purported to be a part of Tang Qi’s story canon. These stories are for entertainment only and are not part of the official story line. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story. I am grateful to Tang Qi for her wonderful book, as otherwise my stories would not exist.